More Articles

By Brock VergakisAssociated Press • Wednesday March 26, 2014 6:34 AM

NORFOLK, Va. — A civilian approaching a Navy destroyer at the world’s largest naval base late at
night took a weapon from a sailor who was standing watch and used it to shoot and kill another
sailor who was trying to help his embattled colleague, Navy officials said yesterday.

Navy security forces then killed the suspect, who was authorized to be on Naval Station Norfolk
and did not bring his own weapon on base, said Capt. Robert Clark, the base’s commanding
officer.

The identities of the civilian and the sailor who were killed have not been released.

“Information about our sailor will come at the appropriate time, and today is not that day,”
said Clark, who asked for privacy for the sailor’s family.

No other injuries were reported from the encounter, which occurred about 11:20 p.m. on Monday on
the USS Mahan, a guided-missile destroyer that recently had returned from a port visit in New
Orleans during Mardi Gras. It wasn’t immediately clear why the civilian approached the ship or
whether he ever had access to it previously.

The Navy said the civilian was coming toward the ship’s quarterdeck, which is traditionally the
ceremonial entry point aboard a ship, when the struggle ensued and the civilian was able to disarm
the petty officer of the watch.

Clark said the identification found with the civilian indicates that it is unlikely he was a
military dependent authorized to be on base for that reason. He said the civilian was found with a
TWIC card.

A TWIC is a transportation worker’s credential and is issued by the Transportation Security
Administration to personnel, such as truck drivers, who require unescorted access to secure areas.
All merchant mariners are also required to have a TWIC card, including civilian employees of the
Navy’s Military Sealift Command.

Clark said it was unclear what exactly the civilian’s job was or when he worked on the base.

About a month ago, the Navy held anti-terrorism and force-protection exercises on bases around
the U.S., including an active-shooter drill at the Norfolk station.

In September, a gunman killed 12 civilians at the Washington Navy Yard before being shot to
death.